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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. last — to go on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. suit — clothes
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — to fit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. last — final
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. last — finally
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com